Card file



Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to card files and particularly to those in which cards are removably hinged to a holder.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, convenient means of. holding a series of cards in spaced position hinged on a holder. The cards are readily inserted in, or withdrawn from, the holder without bending or in any way distorting them.

A further object is to provide a card iile of the minimum thickness and lightness.

Other objects will be set forth hereinafter.

Briefly, the invention comprises a holder with two or more series of parallel aligned slots and cards with tabs secured to their edges.

The tabs are inserted in the slots and provide hinges on which the cards swing, while being securely held in position on the holder.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which:-

Figure l shows the le with several cards inserted.

Figure 2 is a cross section of the holder on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the holder on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows the tabbed edge of a card.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section of a card and tab with the tabs shown in elevation.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a card with its tab inserted in a slot, much enlarged.

Figure 7 shows a section of a two sided holder.

The holder I comprises three layers of card board. The top layer II has two or more rows of parallel aligned slots I0 cut in it. The bottom or back layer I3 is preferably of rigid card board. The intermediate layer I2 is cut away under the rows of. slots to provide a space I4. The three layers I I, I2 and I3 are securely attached to form a rm and compact holder of the minimum thickness. The tabs 3 are made of a stiffened fabric and consist of three parts, the flap 30, which is secured to the card 2, the groove 3l, at the edge of the card 2 and the tongue 32 which is at.

I prefer to have the flap 30 of one thickness of fabric, while the groove 3| and tongue 32 are of double thickness as shown in Figure 5. By this construction, the hinge of the card 2 has only one thickness and is very iiexible. The tab however may have two thicknesses throughout, in which case one thickness of the flap 30 can be secured to each side of the card 2, but this hinge will be less exible.

The operation of the device is as follows:-

To insert a card, it is held vertically over the slots and the tabs inserted in two aligned slots; the card is then lowered towards the holder until the tongues of the tabs have passed through the slots and the grooves are in the slots. The card is then held securely and hinges freely.

To remove a card, it is held at each side vertical to the holder and raised. The tabs will readily pass out of the slots to free the card.

By means of this device a number of cards may be attached to a holder so that their upper edges are exposed. The width of the exposed edges will depend on the distance between the slots. By means of a holder with slots on both sides, as shown in Figure rI, two sets of cards may be mounted on a single holder. Although cardboard is mentioned as the material of which the holder is constructed, other materials could be employed for that purpose in whole or in part.

A particular feature of this device is that practically the whole surface of both sides of the card is available for use. Another feature which distinguishes this device isjthe slight thickness of the holder. The space between the top and bottom is very narrow. This ensures a minimum weight. There are no metal attachments employed to hold or secure the cards. The device comprises only two elements, the slotted holder and the tabbed cards.

The insertion or removal of the cards is carried out without bending them or in any way deforming them.

Having set forth my invention, I claim:-

1. In a card file, the combination of a holder comprising a rigid back layer, a front layer having two series of transverse parallel slots in alignment and an intermediate layer cut away below the slots, the layers being secured together, with cards having tabs projecting from their lower edges, spaced to enter aligned slots, the tabs having grooves at the edges of, the cards to engage the edge portions of the slots.

2. In a card file, the combination of a flat card holder, comprising a sheet having two series of transverse parallel slots in alignment, a rigidback secured thereto, having a shallow trough below each series of slots, with cards having tabs projecting from their lower edges, spaced to enter aligned slots, the tabs having grooves at the edges of the cards to engage the edge portions of the slots.

3. In a card file, the combination of a flat card holder comprising a surface sheet having a plurality oi. series of spaced transverse parallel slots in alignment, shallow spaces below the slots in a rigid back secured to the slotted surface sheet, with cards having tabs projecting from their lower edges, spaced to enter aligned slots, the tabs having grooves at the edges of the cards to engage the edge portions of the slots.

ALLAN LEBEAU. 

